I n response to the many worries about congestion as people try to get to work, to the shops and to take their children to school, the Council is planning a number of new roads and road improvements. They have sent me the following reminder of their major current plans:
“The Council is proposing to build 5 major roads across the Borough.
The North Wokingham Distributor Road
The South Wokingham Distributor Road
The Arborfield Relief Road
The Shinfield Eastern Relief Road
The Winnersh Relief Road
Funding for these roads is primarily coming from developer contributions as developments are brought forward on the strategic development locations. However there will be a short fall on some of the roads as the developers will only contribute to the minimum required scheme and not what has been approved following public consultations. In particular in Arborfield the developer would have argued that they could deliver the necessary mitigation with junction improvements in Arborfield Cross and would not have to deliver any form of relief road.
We bid for funding for the roads through the local growth fund, led by the LEP. We were successful in being allocated indicative funding of £24m from 2016/17 onwards. ”
The Council has completed its consultation on the route for the Arborfield by pass, and has altered its preferred route in line with local wishes. It will shortly announce the decisions on the routes for the Wokingham roads following consultation.
December 8, 2014
If only the so called north distributor road could have direct access to the A329M it would be a huge help in this area.
At the moment it proposes to simply dump traffic from the A329 back onto an already overcrowded crowded A329 each side of the Town.
The Winnersh Crossroads traffic light junction is an absolute disaster at peak hours with traffic backing up to the Woosehill Roundabout in one direction, and the Winnersh Roundabout in the other.
It would seem the four way traffic light phasing is at fault here, and has been for a year,.
The Council I am told by those who live close by have been told, but continue to ignore the problem.
Why is it John that any roadworks seems to take forever nowadays, the new road and Junction to Wokingham station being a prime example.
What is it, 2 years and still not finished ?
We are now told that the Coppid Beech Roundabout modifications will take 7 months, and will involve the provision of the usual mandatory traffic lights that seem to be in favour in every scheme of late.
Why no 24 hour working (few residents close to Coppid Beech) to get it finished in 2-3 months.
The Town is presently surrounded by seemingly long term construction/repairs, which when finished will not make much difference to a simple overcrowding issue.
Such a shame.
December 8, 2014
The funding of many of these roads is coming from the Developers.
Yes it may be at first sight, but it is only coming from them after their Customers have paid them the price for such properties.
How much is it now, £20-£40,000 per property (depending on size) Wokingham Council gets from each developer.